Strange Visitor
by Banjodog
Summary: Harry encounters a strange visitor who insists on following Harry everywhere. Here's the question: Can you guess who he is?


Strange Visitor  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters belong to the great J.K Rowling.  
  
Summary: Harry encounters a strange new visitor insists on following him everywhere and learn everything about him. Here's the question: Can anyone guess who it is?  
  
  
  
Harry poked at his food, only half-listening to the squabble that Ron and Hermione were having. He was feeling somewhat sick, a nagging feeling in the back of his brain. It felt bizarre, like how a person feels before a particularly nasty storm hits. 'Too late,' Harry Potter thought as he listened to the pounding rain outside. The feeling did not hurt by any means, it was just weird.   
  
Setting his fork down on his plate, Harry folded his hands in his lap and crossed his ankles underneath his chair. He scanned the Great Hall, listening to the dull roar of the talking students. The lighting was orange, due to the candlelight. It had an ethereal glow, due to the darkness. Harry threw his glance upwards to see the cause of it. The storm was raging outside, forked lightning splitting the sky in half with deafening cracks, shaking the torrential rain down from the charcoal skies. Harry was glad that he was inside.   
  
"Harry? Harry, are you all right?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow and giving him a quizzical look. Harry jerked himself out his thoughts.  
  
"Huh? What?"  
  
"Are you okay? You just seem really out of it. Are you having dreams again?"  
  
Harry sighed.  
  
"I'm fine, Hermione. No dreams. I was just thinking."  
  
"Okay. You will tell me if something is wrong, right?"  
  
"Don't worry. I will," Harry answered and Hermione went back to her food, looking like she did not entirely believe him. Harry turned back to his own food and was lifting a piece of beef to his mouth when a loud BANG sounded through the Hall, silencing every voice. Every head snapped around to the main entrance way, where the large doors were opened wide. Harry frowned as no one was revealed.   
  
Thinking that may be the violent winds had forced the heavy doors open, Harry was ready to dismiss it when Dumbledore jumped to his feet, his wand suddenly appearing in his hand. Harry looked back at the door and saw a tall, cloaked figure in the door frame, standing quite still. This startled Harry, for it seemed that this figure had suddenly appeared out of thin air.   
  
Everyone watched in fascination as the figure entered, revealing itself to be covered from head to toe in a black as pitch cloak, the hood drawn up over the person's head. Harry's thoughts automatically jumped to Death Eater, but that thought was immediately squashed as the figure reached up and pulled back the hood with a long, slender, pale hand.   
  
The fabric fell away to reveal a handsome young man with dark brown hair that could either be charred auburn or perhaps even black, and deep chestnut eyes. Harry tried to decide on the man's other features, but he found that he was simply unable to do so. The man's features were so that they seemed to be subtly changing and one could never be sure.   
  
Thoroughly confused, Harry watched as the man's eyes swept the Great Hall and the smile that he broke into when his eyes rested on Harry. His grin was a true one, as though seeing Harry was the greatest thing that had happened to him. Quick, graceful, and silent, the man strode over to Harry and grabbed his hand, shaking vigorously.  
  
"Harry! Finally I get to see you!" he exclaimed cheerfully, looking every bit like an old friend that had been away for years. Even more confused, Harry gave a sort of crooked smile, only one corner of his lips lifting, aware that every pair of eyes was on him and this strange visitor. He gave a look to Dumbledore, who cleared his throat. The strange stopped, the smile disappearing.   
  
"May I help you?" Dumbledore asked. The man let go of Harry and turned slowly towards the Headmaster. Harry could not help but feel a sudden pang as he missed the man's touch, and he could not help but notice that even though the man wore gloves, his hands felt extremely cold, almost unnaturally. The man was halfway turned towards Dumbledore when he smiled again. It was not the cheerful one that he had given Harry, but rather a sad one, looking he was regretting something. This made Dumbledore fall silent, for there was a certain energy that this stranger gave off, one that both Harry feared and was comforted by.  
  
"Hello Professor Dumbledore. And how are you today?" the stranger politely asked, his voice low and soft and soothing. Harry was startled by this sudden change in demeanor, but he seemed to be the only one who noticed it.   
  
"Who are you?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Such dreadful weather we are having. Absolutely pouring, it is," the man continued. Harry frowned. It was pouring, but the man's cloak was even the slightest bit damp.   
  
"Please do forgive my intrusion, but I have waited such a long time to meet young Harry here. I must say he's caught my interest," the man continued. At this, he turned back to Harry and gave another cheerful smile.   
  
"I hope that you do not mind that I follow you around for a little while, Harry. I want to get to know you better. I do hope that it is for a long time that I get to stay with you. It would be most wise to keep my interest," he said with a slight mocking tone and he gave a little wink.   
  
'He's not looking at my scar. Not once has he looked at my scar,' Harry thought as the man stared into his eyes.   
  
"I'm sorry, but considering recent events, no one can stay in the castle unless they have prior permission. It isn't safe for the students or for you," Professor McGonagall spoke up.  
  
"Considering recent events, Professor McGonagall, I think I am the perfect person to be here. Please do not think me egotistical, but I believe that if I am on your side, you are the safest. Once again, I am sorry, but I am going to stay here and get to know Harry. This is not open for discussion," he said firmly, his voice clearly warning that there was danger afoot. McGonagall reared back slightly, a little frightened.   
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Professor Dumbledore," the man said, keeping his eyes on Professor McGonagall. Harry's mouth fell open. There was no way that he could have seen Dumbledore reach for his wand while he was confronting McGonagall. Dumbledore froze as the man turned on him.  
  
"I really do not think that that is wise. Do not test me, Professor Snape, Professor Flitwick. You cannot win against me," he warned. Everyone was floored. He seemed to always know what everyone was doing.  
  
"I do not plan to hurt you, I promise. I do not come here with bad intentions. But like I said, do not test me. You cannot hurt me, while I can very easily harm you. Consider it a very good thing that I do not want to," He said with a sly smile.   
  
"If that's a threat-" Dumbledore began with a growl.  
  
"It's a warning. And a very reasonable one at that. Remember it. You cannot say that I did not warn you," the man said and beckoned to Harry.   
  
"Come along, Harry. I would like it very much if you showed me around," he said. There was no room for discussion in his tone. Looking at Dumbledore, who gave a tight nod, Harry got up and walked out of the Hall, the man in tow.   
  
****  
  
"And this leads to Gryffindor Tower," Harry said, turning into a hallway. The man stopped in his tracks and spoke, breaking the silence that he had maintained until then. Harry stopped and faced him, aware that the man had been watching him very closely.  
  
"You are a lot like your father, Harry," the man said.   
  
Harry perked up.  
  
"You knew my father?" Harry asked, perhaps a bit too eagerly. The man gave him a small smile.  
  
"I met him once. And I met your mother right afterwards. They were very nice people. They weren't too fond of me for a little while, but then, not many people are. Then they got over it," the man answered.   
  
"When did you meet-" Harry began to ask.  
  
"Maybe later, Harry. Maybe later."  



End file.
